The Decibel

Librela, a new drug to treat arthritis pain in dogs, was approved for use in Canada in 2021. In some cases, it was described to owners as a “miracle drug”, with no side effects other than potential soreness and swelling at the injection site. Some owners describe their dogs seeming happier and more comfortable. But others have reported adverse reactions, including lethargy, disorientation, vomiting, and even death. Zoetis, Librela’s parent company, says Librela is safe and was rigorously tested. 

Susan Krashinsky Robertson is a business reporter for the Globe. She spoke to eight people whose pets’ health declined after taking Librela. She’s on the show to talk about the promise of Librela, and what she heard from pet owners and veterinarians about the drug.

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This week, the Ontario government will be tabling new legislation that promises to give police more powers to arrest people who refuse to leave their homeless encampments. And to avoid potential legal challenges, Premier Doug Ford is threatening to use the notwithstanding clause if he has to.

Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics and he explains what prompted this response from the Ford government and the consequences of the province potentially using the notwithstanding clause in this way.

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In November, Canada’s first case of avian flu in a human was confirmed – a teenager in British Columbia, who remains in critical care and on a ventilator. Dozens of cases have been reported in the U.S. too, as it appears transmission from infected animals to people has increased. Some scientists and public health officials have warned that this virus has potential to be the source of the next pandemic.

André Picard, the Globe’s health columnist, joins the show to talk about the hard-won lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and why we should be paying attention to what comes next with avian flu.

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Martial law. Impeachment. A treason investigation. All of this has happened within a matter of hours in South Korea.

The Globe and Mail’s Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Seoul covering it. He explains what led to all this political tumult and who South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is – the person at the centre of it all.

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A November Abacus Data poll found that 38 per cent of millennial voters are planning on voting for the Conservatives, compared with 22 per cent for the Liberals, in the next federal election. This is a major shift from when millennials clinched Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first majority win in 2015.

Globe and Mail reporter Dave McGinn dug into the polling data and spoke with millennials who have soured on the Liberals to understand exactly what changed.

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More than 55,000 members from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remain on strike and at an impasse with Canada Post, after negotiations broke down. Issues of wage increases and usage of gig workers are at the heart of the dispute and the two sides remain far apart. But in recent strikes involving public sector workers, that didn’t seem to matter — not when the federal government can intervene and send them back to work.

As postal workers enter the third week of striking, will the federal government soon step in? And what does this strike say about the labour movement right now and unions’ right to strike in Canada?

Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe’s Future of Work reporter, is on the show to talk about the latest on the Canada Post strike, how it fits with other essential services taking work action and how governments intervene in work stoppages.

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An investigation by The Globe and Mail found that spying was an ingrained part of the celebrated women’s national team rocked by scandal at the Paris Olympics. But the revelation of a spying program uncovered many other problems inside the Canada Soccer organization.

Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer explain what their investigation found, how the scandal has affected players and what Canada Soccer is doing to address allegations.

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Last month, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper re-entered the headlines, after being appointed to chair the board of AIMCo, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation. His return followed mass upheaval at the company – with the Alberta government abruptly firing most of its senior leadership and board members. 

AIMCo is responsible for managing hundreds of thousands of public-sector pensions, totaling more than $169 billion. What is happening at Canada’s sixth largest pension fund manager and what does it mean for these pensions?

James Bradshaw is the Globe’s institutional investing reporter. He’ll explain the shake up at AIMCo and why the separation of government from public pension funds is at stake. 

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This week, Israel and Hezbollah – the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon – reached a ceasefire deal. A day later, both accused the other of violating the peace.

But the fragile agreement, brokered by the U.S. and France, appears to be holding for now. And while Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to halt their fighting, the war Israel is fighting in Gaza with Hamas continues.

Eric Reguly, the Globe’s European Bureau Chief, has reported from Lebanon during the war. He joins the show to explain what led to this deal, what could help it succeed, and if this could create momentum for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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President-elect Donald Trump is making threats that would have dire economic consequences for Canada. Trump said on Monday that he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico, until both countries stop migrants and fentanyl from entering the U.S. If he follows through on this, it could cause a major disruption for Canada’s economy, and some fear it could trigger a recession.

The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase has been tracking the political fallout of the announcement. He explains how Trump’s plan puts pressure on various sectors of the Canadian economy and how Trudeau and the federal government are planning to face it.

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